Abstract

In its concern with the physical, chemical, and biological nature of the specifications which living systems transmit from one generation to the next, genetics has come to play a central role in modern biology. Progress is being made so rapidly that it is almost impossible for a single individual to keep abreast of advances on all fronts. This review is prepared for physiologists and others who are not primarily specialists in genetics. It will attempt to survey in a general way some of the advances that seem to the author to be of particular interest and importance. In no sense wilI it cover all of significance in genetics that has happened in the three years since the preparation of the previous review of genetics for this series (1). Fortunately a number
of excellent summaries of progress in particular branches of genetics have recently appeared or are in preparation. These, rather than more technical papers, will often be cited as convenient sources of additional information. Pontecorvo’s Jesup Lectures (2) provide an excellent survey of newer approaches to genetic analysis. Ravin (3) and Wheeler (4) have recently viewed work on the genetics of bacteria and fungi, and Levinthal has surveyed the general situation, especially for physicists and other non-geneticists (5). Fincham (6) has in press a summary of the genetics of enzyme activity.

Item Type:

Article

Additional Information:

"Reprinted, with permission, from the Annual Review of Physiology, Volume 22 copyright 1960 by Annual Reviews, www.annualreviews.org"
The author is grateful to Mr. Robert W. Hedges, who helped with the literature survey on which this review is based, and to colleagues and friends who have generously allowed him to see manuscripts of papers in press.